8/1/03 - First day on the river
After 11 hours in the tent we're up at 6. perfectly clear sky, snow down to 800 ft above us. The mountains look spectacular. 36 deg. This is cold.
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I spend some time taking photos. Breakfast on hot oatmeal with ham and almonds. So far most meals have had a little more than I can eat rather than a little less. We discuss what to do today - hike or paddle. Every one is very agreeable so it is hard to get firm opinions. I feel a moral obligation to hike up one of these hills but I know it is going to hurt. I've done very little hiking this year and these hills are all higher and further than they look and the ground between difficult walking. Billie wants to take to the boats to get an idea of how that will go, so we do that. |
We load boats and are on the water by 10:30am. The river here is beautiful - many channels and many choices. Shallow so we have to walk frequently. lots of obstacles so we have to keep maneuvering.
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I see a very narrow channel with a good flow and cut into that. It is just a couple feet wider than the boat and feels like the log ride at a park. Except the banks are lined with bushes which could puncture our craft.
We hike to the top of a small hill for views. Marie spots a moose a couple bends upstream from our camp. She and Billie heard it walk through early in the morning. The bugs get pretty bad and soon we are all wearing our head nets. I'm sure that I got about 20 bytes on each hand this day but none of them itch yet.
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| We come to a right bend and M sees a grizzle on the left bank. The strong current would take us right past it but we move right and are soon aground. We wait for S & B. I get out my camera and start taking pictures. M is giving me urgent direction and I'm a little worried that the bear is going to jump into the river and run toward us - it's shallow enough - so the pictures are rushed. I may have used too slow a shutter speed for the lens. But the bear continues to munch on berries an and does not seem too alarmed about our presence. We drag across a bar into another channel. As we pass they bear it bolts off into the brush. |
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We get out at another hill to look for game. The bugs are even worse here and I use the binoculars through my bug head net. I still need gloves for my hands.
The paddling has been spectacular. When S & B are ahead of use I see their boat in the sparkling water. Temperatures warm through the day and I’m soon wearing just a few layers.
Since I flew up this whole river in a bit over an hour I'm afraid that this is all going to go too quickly. Fort Yukon does not seem that far away. This is so nice that even if it takes 18 days it may feel like it goes too quickly.
The river changes. It is now mainly one large channel. We pass several large gravel bars which look like good camping. Finally we choose one where the left side hills look accessible.
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Tasty byte spinach and rice plus brownies for dessert. Bed by 7:30.